Bobby Witt Jr. ... quarterback?

This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers' Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

To commemorate football season being in full swing again, the Royals have a little celebration after every win led by rookie Bobby Witt Jr. As soon as the game ends, the infield gathers in the grass between the mound and second base and huddles up. Witt takes a knee. He calls out a play. And the Royals celebrate their win.

“I don’t know why it started. But the kid wanted to be the quarterback,” rookie first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “So we let the kid be the quarterback.”

The new celebration is funny and wholesome, but it’s also a nod to the players on this young Royals team being themselves and trying to have fun as they build toward the future success they all believe is coming.

That includes Witt, the 22-year-old rookie standout wrapping up his first season with the Royals. He’s broken records and put together highlight reel plays. He’s dealt with failure and learned what it takes to play at this level every day for 162 games -- and hopefully more than that in the postseason, he notes.

Most importantly, he says, he’s gotten back to having fun and being himself.

“I think just throughout the whole entire year through failure has been the biggest thing I’ve learned from,” Witt said in the visitors' dugout at Progressive Field, where the Royals are finishing their season with a six-game mega-series against the Guardians. “I know I’m capable of playing this game at this level, so I’m going out there each every day with a winning mindset and have fun.

“Play my game, not try to do too much or too little. There’s only so much I can do to help, so I have to do my part and my job. Go out there each and every day, stay healthy and try to keep doing my thing.”

Witt entered the season as one of the favorites in a stacked American League Rookie of the Year Award race. Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez is the clear favorite now at the end of the season, and Witt might have an uphill battle to climb with voters based on the rest of the field, which includes Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan and Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña -- all players who played meaningful roles in meaningful games in the hunt for the postseason.

But the Royals couldn’t be more pleased with what their shortstop has shown this year.

“I couldn’t be happier,” manager Mike Matheny said. “Just watching him every day, watching how he does it. … Without question, Bobby is one of those players that you see the joy when he plays, the talent is very obvious.

“I’m going to jump up on whatever I can jump on and promote the fact that Bobby has done some really impressive things this year. So many behind-the-scene things to go along with what we’re seeing on the field. It’s special, and it’s been a pleasure to be a part of it and watch.”

Entering Tuesday, Witt has a 101 wRC+ and a 2.3 WAR, per FanGraphs. He ranks first among Major League rookies in games played (148), stolen bases (30), RBIs (80) and extra-base hits (57); second in total bases (251), doubles (31), triples (six) and hits (148); and third in home runs (20).

“I get a little afraid analyzing another team’s players other than that kid looks like he’s going to be a star,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. "Whether he’s been playing third or short, he’s hit for power and I can see why they love him. He looks like he’s going to get better, which is a little scary for us.”

Where Witt can improve is his plate discipline -- he has a .295 on-base percentage and just a 4.8% walk rate compared to a 21.3% strikeout rate -- and his defense. He’s made 18 errors this year, with 4 defensive runs saved at third base (three errors) and -17 at shortstop (15 errors). His -8 outs above average at shortstop, per Statcast, rank in the bottom five of the league.

“There are times where I could have been better defensively,” Witt said. “But that’s where I’ve learned and gotten better. I’ve gotten to a good routine with that, learned a lot about that. And same thing at the dish too, finding a good routine off the field to get me ready for the game.”

Neither Witt nor the Royals is worried about his ability to play shortstop. There were several errors that happened when Witt was dealing with an injury and not at 100%. Hamstring tightness and shin splints were two ailments that he dealt with this year, although not to the extent that an injured list stint was needed.

As Witt put those injuries behind him and learned the pregame routine that worked best for him, he has gotten better. Knowing how much to push before games with fielding drills and batting practice swings was something that took a little time for the rookie wanting to impress everyone watching.

“As a rookie, I wanted to do everything,” Witt said. “That way I could impress the veterans, the coaching staff or whatever it is. I wanted to do a lot, like full steam ahead. But I learned quickly that’s not the way to go, and you have to know what’s good for you because everyone is different. Everyone has their own work. So learning that was a big thing and it really helped me.”

After Wednesday’s regular-season finale in Cleveland, Witt plans to head back to Texas, where he’ll take some rest and reflect on his season before getting back to work.

His sophomore year will arrive quickly. And both he and the Royals want 2023 to be better than ’22.

“Just try to get better at those things that weren’t as good as I wanted them to be,” Witt said. “Just keep building and sharpening my craft. There’s not one set thing, just maturing as a whole and getting stronger and better. I think I can get better at every part of my game.

“I’m really looking forward to doing that. Hopefully we start winning some more ballgames in the future and start playing as one. I think we’re really close. Everyone is learning from this year, and I think that’s going to lead to moments where we click and future success.”